Repairman&#39;s creeper



May 6, 1952 J. w. GRIFFIN REPAIRMANS CREEPER Filed July 10, 1947 IN V EN TOR. John W. GI'Iffi/I Patented May 6, 1952 ,UNITED rS'TAT ES .rPATEN'T OFFICE f REPAIRMANS CREEPER John W; Griffin, Cleveland,- Ohio, assignorto Richard Luntz, Shaker Heights; and Sanford S. Lazarus, North Canton, ".Ohio

- Application July 10, 1947,-Scrial-No'.760,046

case "of movement around and underneath a ve- "-h'iele. "However, there are many operations in servicing, "repairing, painting or otherwise working on vehicles wherein it is not convenient or comfortable to do' the work when lyingdown.

Furthermoreymany 'of such operations are concliict'edat knee-level and are quite uncomfortable 9 'for the-mechanicorrepairman if he attempts to "stand-up; bend'over orotherwise support him- "s'elf'while doing the specific repair operation in question. Furthermore, in repairin vehicles and servicing them in other manners,i the worker frequently needs a variety of tools and must carry such tools around the Vehicle as hisrepair work-progresses.

' "The-general object of the present invention is toprovide acreeper which is adapted to support a person in either a prone or a' s'ittingposition. 1 Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, easily assembled creeper "of novel construction.

1 A furtherobject of theinvention is to provide a creeper with a head support section which can easily and're'adily be swung'up to operative position as a seat support.

A -further 'object of theinventioni'sto:provide amobile seat having a support platform "associate'd'therewith.

"I The foregoing -and other objects of the invention will-:b'e manifest as the specificationproceeds.

1 In-the accompanying drawings Fig". leis aplan'of acreeperembodyingthe iprinciplesotthe invention;

T' Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thecreeper" shown jzzin Fig. 1;

Fig; 3 is atbottompl'anpf. thecreeperiofli'ig. 1; l'fiFig: 4?. is; a; side elevation "off the icreeper: 'of 1' "Fig; l with thei'creeperiin'th position of as'seat 2-: support;

a Fig. 5' is a; detailelevation:of"'thepivoted'con 1 auction used '.-;in: securing'the head section 'to the main frame; and

'tFig. 6 is 'aJbOttOm pIan of the joint'ofFig. 5 ":xwith ,theamembersiinitheirzextendedrpositions. Referring-nowatosthe.xletailszqirtheistructure 'rishcwnlin:thetaccompanying.:drawingc axcteeper:

I II- is disclosed and is adapted for use in supporting a person in either a lying or a sitting position. The creeper II] mainly comprises a substantially U-shaped main frame member and a substantially U-shaped end frame I2. The frames II and I2 may be made from any" conventional materials and tubing is one excellent material for use in constructing these parts of the creeper It]. The frames II and I2 are both shown as formed from integral tubing wherein the tubing is smoothly curved at the-corners to connect the arms of the frames to the'base sections thereof. The main frame -I I is-reinforced by tubular. members I3 and .I 4 which are suitably secured to the arms of the frame and-extend therebetween. A load support member such as a metal or board sheet [5 is secured to the 'upper surfaceof the mainframe II by bolts I 5. .The

mainframe 'I I is used to position the creeper II] for easy support and locomotion and these means may comprise casters I1, plate sections of which are welded to the under surface "of the main i frame l I, as best shown in Fig. 3.

As an important feature of the invention and to permit the end frame I2 to bemoved with relation to the mainframe II, pins or rivets 2| 7 main frame I I.

pivotally secure the'ends of the frame! to the Figs. 5 and 6 best show that the ends of the main frame II have-substantially rectangular sections 22 cut from the upper surfaces thereof adjacent the ends of the'frame in association with the end frame I2, which cut out endportionsof' the main frame may be'considered extension sections thereof. shows that the sections 22 are cut from only the Fig; 5 best upper surfaces of theframe II and the ends of {the end frame I2, which protrude slightly befiyond thee'nd' section'ofthe creeper, are forged or otherwise formed to provide two substantially solid reduced width sections 23' that are adapted to extend into the ends of the frame ll and substantially occupy the cut out sections" 22. 1 The portions of the frame H below the cut out sections 22 'formsupport surfaces for the end sections of the. end frame l2.

The pin 2| is positionedinspacedrelation to theend of. the frame I I so that the endsections 23 of the frame I2 will. engage with the main frame I I so'as to limit downward'movement of the frame I2 on the frame I I. Thus the sections 23 abut on the upwardly-from the plane of thelframe ,Il so as ltollimit. such "upward .i'arcuate I, movement. of the rom ithemri mal p sition:of:.the:end:rame 1 I2 the end frame t2 spear-es wherein it is supported on the base of the frame I I adjacent the cut-out sections 22. In this position, the end frame It extends from the frame I l as substantially an extension thereof, although Fig. 2 shows that the frame i2 may extend slight- 1y upwardly inclined with relation to the frame I l so as to provide a more comfortable head support for a person lying upon the creeper. Fig. i of the drawings best shows that the support pad 24 has such arcuate movement that the pivotal frame I2 and the other means used to position the support pad 24, as hereinafter explained, both move through arcs greater than 90 in extent so that these support means move over their vertically upwardly extending, or dead center positions, in moving the support pad from its position as a seat to its other position as a head rest.

The end frame 52, which forms a head support in its extended position, ventional support pad by any conin ans of suitable securing the support base oosi" devices such as U-bolts tli'll slightly larger in wid; that the support pad is swing u 7 pins 25, then the support can b more easily moved out of contac wint e en face of the frame and ca be used a member that is positioned above the the sheet l5.

In order to position the support pad 2-; for use as a seat, support devices, such as a pair of support arms are pivotally connected the port pad 2 The support arms 23 to the frame 5 sections 22 of the on guide plates r8, having slots secured to the under s 24 and extending downwardlshows that the support a1 parallel to the end frame are in their furtherest forward, or position wherein further forward movement of the frame (2 is prevented by such frame hearing against the ends of the cut-out sections The slots 2% permit the support a ms 26 to remain in engagement with the su ort pad as the end frame 52 is swung dew. erdly from the position shown in 4 to the position flush with the lateral margins of the creeper as shown in These support ar 23, of course. function to carry at least a portion of the support pad 25; in its but they also function to move, aut support pad 2% from its position i ush against the surface of the end frame i2, as shown in 2, to the load support position shown in Fig. e wherein the support pad 2 still at least substantially parallel to the load support surface of the sheet is. fence, a person using the creeper i@ can rapidly and easily swing the support pad 2 to a position for use either as a support or for use as a seat. In some instances, it be desired to use other support means for the pad 24 and they may comprise pendulum type arms pivotally secured to the pad and ada ad'to seat on the cover member on frame H, r frame ii for 7 load support. When using support pad 2% as a seat, the operator can carry tools or other desired articles around on the surface of the sheet I5 whereby the. operators tools will always be within 'arms length, regardless of how much i the operator moves around the vehicle in working on the same.

he various components of the creeper it of the invention may be formed from any conventional materials, and the creeper, it will be seen, can be easily constructed from a minimum number of standard components or materials that are easily available.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of this articular emsediment of the invention be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a creeper, a U-shaped tubular main frame, reinforcing means associated with said main frame, a Li-shaped tubular head frame having ends and a base section, a load support member secured to said fr me, a support pad pivotaily secured to head frame, said main frame having ext lSlOll sections formed thereon that are open on their upper surfaces only, pin

means pivotaily securing the ends of said head s of said main rarne spaced. fromche extremities thereof, said extension sections being ad pted to support said l raine extending from main frame for guices fcr limi g the arcuate movement of said support pad on head frame and for aidin supporting same above said main frame, said support arms also serving to move said support pad on said head frame automatically into parallel relation with said main frame a the said head frame swung upwardly therefrom, due to the positioning of said support arm on said main frame. i

2. In a creeper, a u shaped main frame, a U- head 1"" e, a load support member secured to said ..ain frame, a support pad secured to said head frame, said support pad on said ead frame being pivotally engaged therewith, aid main frame having extensio sections ornie thereon that are open on their upper suraces only, pin pivotally securing the ends frame to the extension sections of .ain frame spaced from the extremities thereof, extension sections being-adapted to support said frame extending from said main frame substantiall the plane thereof, a pair of support arms pivotally secured to said main frame, and a pair of guides having slots formed therein secur to said support pad of said head frame at the portion thereof immediately a decent said main frame when said head frame is extended therefrom and substantially in the plane of the ain frame, said support arms being engaged MAL/h the slots in said guides for limiting the movement of said support pad on said head frame to aid in supporting some above said main frame.

3. In a creeper, a main frame, reinforcing means associated with said main frame head frame-having ends'and a base section, a load support member. securedyto saidmainlframe, .o. support pad secured to said head frame, said main frame having support sections formed thereon at one of the ends thereof that are open on the upper surfaces thereof only, pin means pivotally securing the ends of said head frame to the support sections of said main frame spaced from the extremities of such main frame, said support sections being adapted to support said head frame in a substantially horizontal position extending from said main frame for load receipt, a pair of support arms pivotally secured at one end of each of such arms to said main frame adjacent the support sections thereof but positioned axial- 1y inwardly of such sections, a pair of guides having slots formed therein secured to said support pad of said head frame at the portion thereof immediately adjacent said main frame when said head frame is extended therefrom and substantially in the plane of the main frame, said support pad on said head frame being pivotally carried thereby for movement on the base section thereof, and means securing the other end of each of said support arms to a corresponding slot in each one of said guides for limiting the arcuate movement of said support pad on said head frame and for aiding in supporting same above said main frame, said support arms also serving to control the position of said support JOHN 'W. GRIFFIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,349,941 Broome Aug. 17, 1920 1,652,190 Wills Dec. 13, 1927 2,168,455 Smith Aug. 8, 1939 2,288,568 Holmes June 30, 1942 2,430,662 Barton Nov. 11, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 425,384 Great Britain Mar. 13, 1935 

